Here's a tea party protester who has consistently advocated liberty

September 18, 12:26 PMCivil Liberties ExaminerJ.D. Tuccille

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Tea Party protesters are being accused of hypocrisy for objecting vociferously to the Obama administration's government-expanding policies. After all, some of the protesters are Republicans who sat on their hands while then-President Bush and a complicit GOP-controlled Congress went on a wild spending spree and engaged in frightening civil liberties violations. So the accusation has a bit of merit. (Charges that the protests are based in racism, on the other hand, are as contemptible as are efforts to paint the anti-war movement with bigotry because of the anti-semitism of a few participants.)

But not all the anti-Obama protesters were fans of the last president. Many of them are continuing objections they voiced in years past to government that accumulates power and threatens liberty no matter which of the major parties is in office. Chief among these consistent advocates of restrained government has been Rep. Ron Paul, a nominal Republican who normally functions in the House of Representatives as a caucus of one, and who has friends (and enemies) on both sides of the aisle.

In the video below, from Time magazine, Rep. Paul objects to the vast power of the Federal Reserve, and credibly connects his objections to the income tax to his rejection of conscription. Both are manifestations, he says, of the government's claim to own the lives and property of the people.

By the way, Alexander Cockburn of Counterpunch has made the same (accurate) point about how the anti-war movement has neutered itself now that Bush is out of office.

email J.D.: civilliberties (at) tuccille.com